However, setting goals is not an easy skill. In the past, I would set goals that I had zero control over.

“I want to make a million bucks,” you might think.

Alright, great. But here’s the thing, you don’t control the rewards you get. What do you control? Your effort. So, it’s better to set goals that are related to your effort.

How many books are you going to read?

What degrees will you get?

How many potential mentors will you reach out to?

How many articles/books/videos/songs will you create?

How much of your money are you going to invest?

You see, these types of questions are related to goals that you can influence. That’s the way to go.

2. Why you need systems

Systems have different meanings to people. For example, Scott Adams, the author of How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, did a great job explaining how systems work for him. He doesn’t set goals and only has systems. That’s not how I look at it.

Once we set goals, we know that we have to put in the work to achieve them. That’s when systems come into play.

It comes down to this: What do I need to do EVERY DAY to achieve the goals I desire?

Let’s say you want to become financially independent by age 50. You might think:

I need to look at my goals every day to remind myself of where I’m going

I need to reflect on the past to learn and be grateful for where I am

Alright, congratulations. You have created a system. When you do the above things, you will make progress, no matter what.

One thing we must be aware of is that we keep an open mind: Goals and systems change all the time. Don’t fixate on one thing for a long time. Change your goals and systems as your priorities change.

3. Why you need higher goals

We’ve established that we need both goals and systems to live a good life. Here’s what I’ve learned over the past few years.

Set higher goals!

No, you don’t need to make 10 million bucks. That’s just your superficial brain speaking for you.

Set the bar higher for yourself.

Become the best at your job.

Become stronger, fitter, and smarter than ever

Have divine relationships

Go beyond where you currently are. I like how Jordan Peterson puts it in his immensely popular book, 12 Rules For Life:

“You should never give up the better that resides within for the security you already have.”

Yes, why would you deserve anything but the best? Because you’re afraid of losing what you have? That’s not a good reason to live a timid and mediocre life.

When we aim low, we deserve to receive low. When we aim high, we might fail, but we still have a better life than people who aim low. Because the failure of someone who aims high is much more profound than the life of someone who aims low.

“Yeah, but I don’t need much.”

Well, that sounds like a pretty high aim to me. It’s funny to me that people pretend like “being content” is easy.